Wendell Chrome Extension Privacy Policy
Effective date: July 12, 2026 · Last updated: July 12, 2026
This policy explains what the Wendell browser extension (“the extension”) accesses, what it sends to Wendell, and the choices you have. It applies specifically to the Chrome extension. Wendell’s general Privacy Policy covers the web app and account, and applies together with this one.
1. Who we are
The Wendell extension is published by Open Knowledge of New York, LLC (“Open Knowledge,” “we,” “us”). The extension connects to the Wendell service at app.wendell.app. For any privacy question or to exercise a data right, contact support@okny.io.
2. What this policy covers
The extension is a thin companion to your Wendell account. It lets you save web pages and selections into Wendell, reference your workspace in a side panel, and—only if you turn it on—keep a private record of pages you visit. Everything the extension sends goes to your own Wendell account at app.wendell.app. We do not operate a separate data store for the extension.
3. What the extension accesses and collects
Pages and selections you save (“clips”). When you click the Wendell icon, use the right-click “Save to Wendell” menu, or choose “Include current page,” the extension reads the content of that page (or the text you selected) and sends it to your Wendell account. This only happens for a page you explicitly act on—the extension does not read pages in the background.
Browsing history — optional, off by default. The extension can keep a private record of pages you visit to make them searchable inside Wendell. This is opt-in: it is turned off when you install the extension and stays off until you enable it in the extension’s Settings and grant the browser’s history permission. When it is on, we record only the page URL, title, and visit time. We do not capture page contents through this feature, we skip non-http(s) pages, and Chrome excludes Incognito browsing. You can turn it off at any time; doing so stops new capture immediately and removes the browser permission.
Account and sign-in. To connect the extension to your account you sign in with Google. Through that sign-in we receive your email address / account identifier and a session token used to authorize requests to app.wendell.app.
Data stored locally in your browser. The extension keeps a small amount of data in your browser’s local extension storage: your settings (such as where saves land), your history opt-in flag, a sync marker, and your session token. This stays on your device and is cleared when you sign out or uninstall the extension.
4. Permissions and why we ask for them
| Permission | Why the extension needs it |
|---|---|
activeTab + scripting | Read the page you are viewing only when you explicitly save it or include it as context. |
contextMenus | Add the right-click “Save to Wendell” option. |
sidePanel | Show the Wendell side panel. |
storage | Remember your settings and keep you signed in, locally on your device. |
identity | Sign you in with Google. |
Host access to app.wendell.app | Send saved content to your account and load the Wendell app. |
Optional: history | Requested only if you turn on browsing-history capture; removed when you turn it off. |
| Optional: access to other sites | Requested only if you opt into capturing page context beyond the tab you are actively saving. |
The optional permissions are never granted at install. Chrome asks you at the moment a feature needs them, and you can decline.
5. How we use this data
We use the information above only to run the features you invoke: to save the clips you choose into your account, to make your opted-in browsing history searchable within Wendell, to keep you signed in, and to operate and secure the service. That’s it.
6. What we do not do (Limited Use)
Our use of information received through the extension complies with the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements, and—for data obtained through Google sign-in—the Google API Services User Data Policy. Specifically, we do not:
- Sell your data or share it with data brokers;
- Use the content you save, or your browsing history, to train AI models—ours or anyone else’s;
- Use your data for advertising;
- Share your content with other users;
- Transfer or use your data for any purpose unrelated to the extension’s single purpose—saving and referencing content in your Wendell workspace—except as required for security or by law.
7. Sharing and AI providers
Content you save is processed on your behalf by the infrastructure providers that run the Wendell hosted service, each bound by a data-processing agreement. If you use AI features inside Wendell, the relevant content may be sent to an upstream AI provider to generate a result; we require providers not to train on your content where their terms allow. We do not otherwise share your data, except when required by law or in connection with a merger or asset sale under equivalent privacy commitments. See the general Wendell Privacy Policy for details.
8. Data retention and deletion
- Clips and browsing-history events live in your Wendell account and are retained while your account is active. Deleting an item, or deleting your account/workspace, removes them.
- Turning off history capture stops new events immediately; previously synced events remain in your account until you delete them or your account.
- Locally stored data (settings, session token) is removed when you sign out or uninstall the extension.
To delete data or your whole account, use your account settings or email support@okny.io.
9. Your choices and controls
- Browsing history is off until you enable it, and can be turned off any time in the extension’s Settings — which also removes the browser permission.
- Saving is always explicit — nothing is captured from a page unless you save it.
- Sign out from the extension to end the session and clear the local token.
- Uninstall to remove the extension and its local data entirely.
10. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, export, or object to processing of your personal data, and to withdraw consent for optional processing. Email support@okny.io to exercise any right not available in your account settings. EU/EEA and UK users may lodge a complaint with their local data-protection authority. California users have rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to know, delete, correct, and opt out of sale (we do not sell).
11. Security
We protect data in transit with TLS and encrypt hosted content at rest, with scoped access controls and audit logging. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affects you, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.
12. Children
The extension is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their information.
13. Changes to this policy
We will post material changes on this page and update the “Last updated” date. Continued use of the extension after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.
14. Contact
Open Knowledge of New York, LLC
support@okny.io